Gardeners warned 'think twice' before buying common plant after it causes £100k damage

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Gardeners have been warned to 'think twice' before putting a common plant in their gardens, after it caused over £100k worth of damage.

Chinese moso bamboo may look pretty, but if not looked after and managed correctly, it can wreak absolute havoc.

One person was forced to dig up the entire ground floor of their property after their Chinese moso bamboo plant got out of control.

Now they are warning other gardeners.

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The invasive plant is highly aggressive and is actually one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet. Chinese moso bamboo can grow almost a metre in a single day.

One homeowner had thousands of pounds worth of damage after the plant spread from a neighbouring property onto their own, according to invasive plant specialists Environet UK.

The bamboo formed part of a border hedge or screen which was planted directly into the ground.

It then travelled across the boundary and under the concrete ground floor of the house before bursting through the floor.

The plant then grew up through the cavity walls of the property, says the Express.

If the plant had been left untreated, it could have forced the wall apart.

The ground floor of the property had to be dug up with hundreds of metres of bamboo rhizome excavated.

The removal of the plant and the damage caused resulted in a home insurance claim exceeding £100,000.

Although Japanese knotweed is often viewed as the most troublesome plant for homeowners, bamboo has the potential to be even more damaging if left to grow.

The roots of a bamboo plant can travel in excess of 10 metres and can push through bricks, drains, cavity walls, patios and can exploit any cracks or weaknesses in